As I mentioned a few days back, I have too many decent photos of Mexico to cram into just one week so I will revisit Mexico again at a later date. There is even talk of another trip down there for Spring Break of 2009 so maybe I’ll toss in another Mexico week on this blog then (even if we don’t go again).

We stayed at the Presidente InterContinental Puerto Vallarta. The hotel isn’t in the main part of town which is a bit inconvenient but well worth the trouble of a taxi or bus when you do want to head into the city center. The picture I took, above, was my first impression as I walked out onto our balcony. It doesn’t get much better than a view like that.

I remember two of the meals we had in Puerto Vallarta as being among the best I’ve ever had.

That does it for Mexican week. We’ll return to things Japanese tomorrow. I think I’ll do some other week-long travel blogs in the future though as I quite enjoyed it (even if those of you only interested in Japan didn’t ). Be on the lookout for future weeks dedicated to Canada, Hawaii, and Italy.

Posted on November 30th, 2008 under Other. Tags: beach, food, mexico. Comments: None

Each of the three times I’ve stayed in Guanajuato has been at the El Meson de los Poetas. The place is walking distance to all of the good stuff in town. The Diego Rivera House and Museum is practically next door.

There are lots of stairs in this place as it’s built into a hill side. One of the rooms I stayed in was something like 100 stairs from the entrance.

The above picture is of the breakfast eating place. The food is really good. The only downside of this hotel is the noise. While it is nice and quiet in the afternoons things can get noisy at night. I doubt you will find a place in downtown Guanajuato that isn’t loud at night though as the town is really hopping after dark. If you need to sleep before 2 or 3 in the morning I suggest earplugs. You may hear dogs in the morning too so wear earplugs if you want to sleep in late.

Posted on November 29th, 2008 under Other. Tags: guanajuato, mexico. Comments: None

There are only two more days left after today for Mexico week on TravelJapanBlog.com, and I have so many more pictures to share. I suppose we’ll have to revisit Mexico at some later date on this blog.

Today’s photograph is of the main building for the University of Guanajuato. It is located near the center of town and can be easily reached on foot if you are in the main part of Guanajuato. With almost 30,000 students and nowhere to grow in the immediate neighborhood most classes are held in other buildings though. The building I taught in was about a 10 minute drive from the building pictured here.

If you have spent any time in Mexico the above building may look familiar even if you haven’t been to Guanajuato. Why? Because it is featured on Mexican currency.

Posted on November 28th, 2008 under Other. Tags: guanajuato, mexico. Comments: None

In the early 2000s the University of Guanajuato (Universidad de Guanajuato) built a new business school away from downtown Guanajuato. It is located on a hill and features spectacular views. The above photograph is of the cafeteria in the business school or at least the open air part of it. The climate is such that you can eat outside pretty much all year long.

I had a couple of students from Guanajuato at my university in Southern Oregon a few years back. I remember well the look of wonderment on their faces the day they came to class when it had snowed. It was the first time either had seen snow before.

Posted on November 27th, 2008 under Other. Tags: clouds, guanajuato, mexico. Comments: None